Demons
by Miss Anna Salvatore-Whitlock
Summary: Ava was Fate's personal plaything. She had no doubt about that. Her life was hectic to say the least ever since she was a child and so many things had happened to her that cant be pinned on puberty. So at twenty five she is given an opportunity to leave everything behind and she grabs with both hands. Her luck was finally changing...but of course nothing is ever what it seemed.
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to Mystic Falls, Virginia._ The rider barely read the sign as it blurred by. It was a disappointment actually, the place. So far the scenery was the same as Forks, Washington. Trees, Trees, and more trees. There was green everywhere! The only difference, that it was bright and sunny here. The rider crossed the old white oak bridge and on the other side, stopped the bike; a Harley Davidson Light Wire; its pride and joy. It got off the motorcycle and walked to the edge of the bridge, to look down at the water that was beneath it.

As soon as the rider had crossed the border, entering Mystic Falls it had felt a pull that came from deep inside its soul that connected it forever to the small town. _Home._ The rider took of its helmet and a wave of dark brown hair fell down her shoulders. Blue eyes stared into the water full of worry. This place felt like home, it called to her welcoming her back though she had never set foot here before. The young woman took in the scenery around her, green forest, running water, birds flying in the sky and the calling of a crow far off in the distance. She had decided to come here to start anew, a clean slate after all that had happen back in Forks. It was the first time she had set off on her own and being the lucky person that she was, after her dad died she had inherit a boarding house in Mystic Falls. If things didn't go well, she could just sell it and move to New York or New Orleans. Her stomach rumbled and she placed her helmet back on. For now, she had to find a place to eat. She was starving.

The Mystic Grill was crowded, a rare thing on a Monday night. Matt was being worked to the ground as more clients walked in. Ever since, the other bar across town shut down, The Grill has been the go to place every night. They would need another waiter or Matt would be exhausted before the week finished.

Damon asked for a bottle of bourbon and with a bit of compulsion managed that the bartender give it to him along with six cups. He took it and went to the table where his brother and his girlfriend was sitting with all their friends. He was about to sit down, when he felt a sudden shift in power all around him. Damon stood straight and quickly expanded his sense to try and feel where the threat was coming from. Bonnie placed herself next to him;

"Did you feel it?" Bonnie asked him breathlessly. Damon nodded;

"Yeah, but I can't feel where it's coming from." His black eyes searched the room relentless and he flared out his Power searching for the source but found nothing.

"What did you feel?" Stefan asked, shifting closer to Elena for protection. Damon snorted and mockingly told him;

"Get off the bunny diet, little brother; you're getting weaker by the minute. Something has happened that has shifted the power here in town. It was strange though, almost as if the town was welcoming someone back." Damon looked at Bonnie for confirmation.

"Someone has arrived;" Bonnie said with her eyes closed in concentration. "She has finally come home after so many years. Unbeknown the power she holds within she is surrounded by the cold, wolves and the moon. She will either join us or tear us apart." Bonnie sighed, opened her eyes to the sight of her gaping friends. "I'm sorry that was all I could get." Damon shrugged and sat down, fingering his glass of bourbon.

"When she gets here, we'll deal with her then. For now, we have other things to worry about; like why we can't get in the boarding house." Stefan sighed and leaned forward so he was eye to eye with his brother.

"About that, I called Zach's lawyer and asked about the house. Since he was declared dead, the house would fall to his next of kin; who supposedly would be you or me. Turns out we were wrong; Zach had a half-sister that we didn't know about. His father had an affair with his secretary and a child was born out of it. She is a Salvatore so Zach signed over the house to her if anything ever happened to him." Stefan informed them.

Two weeks ago Damon and Stefan stumbled across the fact that neither of them were owners of the boarding house. They had been inside the house when suddenly they were both suffocating and suffering aneurisms. Elena and Bonnie had to drag them out of the house for them to start breathing again. Entrance was impossible after that and to say they were pissed was putting it lightly. Stefan was staying with Elena and Damon with a different girl every night.

"How did the lawyer know that Zach is dead?" Damon asked.

"They don't," Stefan said; "Zach was supposed to check in very two weeks and when he didn't, the house passed to the other owner."

"So, we find this sister and compel her to sign the house over to us. Where is she?"

"She died twenty years ago, a robbery gone wrong."

"So why can't you get in? This woman died while Zach was still alive so the house should have gone to you." Elena asked quickly as Damon's eye was practically twitching.

"Well, both Zach and his sister weren't stupid. They left written that if anything should happen to either of them, the house would go to Zach's niece, her daughter when she turned twenty-five."

"Let me guess, she turned twenty-five two weeks ago." Damon said sarcastically.

"Exactly. Zach's niece is the proud owner of the Salvatore Boarding House," Stefan finished.

"Do you know where she is?" Bonnie asked him. Stefan shook his head;

"The lawyer wouldn't give out that info by phone. He did mention that the girl was coming here with the idea of selling the house and going to New York. So maybe we could offer to buy it from her."

"We can't compel her to give us the house because…" Damon asked mockingly

"Because she is family and she might need the money for college or something. We have more than enough that it won't even hurt us." Damon just glared at his little brother; Saint Stefan always doing the right thing. Elena was clinging to his arm with that sick lovey-dovey look in her eyes that made him want to vomit.

Tyler Lockwood approached them with a cat-ate-the-canary grin on his face. He plopped down next to Bonnie, looking excited.

"You won't believe the killer bike that just parked outside; a not-on-the market-yet Harley Davidson Live-Wire and totally reformed. The thing was going over a hundred when it entered the town and its rider is the hottest piece of ass that I have ever seen." Bonnie smacked him on the arm;

"Do you have to talk about a woman like that?"

"If she is worth talking about, yeah."

"Asshole," Bonnie muttered under her breath.

The door to the Grill opened and a medium height woman walked with a helmet under her arm. Her curly coffee brown hair was thrown over one shoulder, her hazel-green eyes observed the room as she made her way to the bar. She placed her helmet and black leather jacket on the stool next to her and when she leaned forward to grab a menu, her tattoo of the wolf howling at the moon that she had on her olive-colored back was visible.

"That's the rider. I told you she was hot!" Tyler told them smugly. The girls rolled their eyes as the boys chuckled.

"She's definitely new. Think she is just passing through?" Caroline asked.

"Must be, she had two bags tied to the back of her bike. Why would she want to stay here with money raining down on her?" Tyler answered.

"What makes you think that she has money?" Caroline asked again.

"Did you not hear how I described her bike? The Live-Wire is not yet on the market for another six months and it has been reformed to surpass the speed limit. Her helmet has an incorporated Bluetooth and microphone. You need money for all that." Caroline shrugged and rose from her seat.

"Passing through or not, I'm going to welcome her to our town and ask her for her name."

"You should stop being so nosy before you come across something you can't handle," Damon told her but Caroline ignored him and she started walking over to the girl. Mid-way she stopped and headed to the bathroom.

"I forgot that I have to go to the bathroom." Damon stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"Barbie we don't have to use the bathroom because we don't need it."

"Do you feel alright?" Bonnie asked her. Caroline looked confused and her eyes were in a daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine…why did I get up?" she asked looking around her. Her eyes landed on the new girl that was at the bar.

"Who's that?"

"You were going to go over there and ask her," Elena informed Caroline nervously. What was wrong her?

"I was?" Stefan stood up and walked towards Caroline.

"What was the last thing you remember?" Stefan asked.

"Tyler was telling us about a new bike that rode into town…why?" Stefan grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze;

"He also mentioned the rider and how it was that woman at the bar." Caroline looked surprise and was about to answer when the door to the Grill opened again and an awful wet dog smell wafted in. Damon, Stefan and Caroline automatically turned towards the entrance as a tall Native-American walked through the door. His skin was the color of bronze with black hair and eyes. He wore black jeans and a tight navy blue t-shirt with a blue jacket on top. Half-way towards the bar, the man stopped and slowly turned towards them. He inhaled deeply and growled under his breath. Damon and Stefan automatically placed themselves in front of Caroline and growled right back. Elena stood up and before anyone could grab her she made her way towards the bar;

"I'll find out what her name is and what is going on." She was about to approach the girl when she stopped and turned around heading to the bathroom. She took a few steps when she got a determined look on her face and turned back towards the woman. Elena forced her steps before she suddenly stumbled back and into the arms of the Native-American.

"Careful there doll face; try not to hurt yourself." He smiled down at her before approaching the woman. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and sat down on the stool that was on the other side of her. Elena made her way back to the group and Stefan quickly grabbed her placing her behind him. Just what in the world was going on?

* * *

"Babe, you're doing it again." Paul Lahote said to Ava as he sat down next to her. She shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly as she studied the menu.

"I don't want to be bothered right now, I'm hungry and I'm tired. We both know that small town people are as nosy as can be." Paul snorted as he pointed out the hamburgers, fries and milkshake that he wanted;

"Seems small town also are a magnet for leeches it would seem." Ava swiveled in her seat and stared into the crowd her eyes lingering in a group of teenagers that were staring right back at her. The blonde and the brunette were the two that had tried to approach her. She winked playfully in that directions making the blue eyed male smirk back at her.

"Don't worry about it Paul, it's not like the ones back home." Her eyes filled with worry though and she contemplated calling her family and asking about them. Before she could decide what to do, the food she had ordered was placed in front of them and all sane thought flew from her mind. The smell had her practically drooling and she groaned in happiness at the burger, fries and chocolate milkshake that was in front of her. After so many years on the bunny diet she was finally off it and she couldn't be happier. Ava took a bite of her burger and sighed in happiness. Paul took one look at her face and started laughing hysterically. His booming laughter caught the attention of those around them, but neither of them paid any attention to them. Ava flipped him off but continued to eat heartily as Paul joined her. Ava drank a bit of her milkshake and said;

"Laugh all you want but I am finally giving those poor woodland creatures a chance at survival! No more eating their food…no more of depriving them of their natural food source! The law of survival went right out the window with us around; but no more! I am finally giving them a chance at running from them." Paul stared at her for a second before laughing again.

"Why didn't you ever tell them that you didn't like vegetarian food?" He asked her curiously. Ava shrugged and continued eating;

"They can't stand the smell of cooked meat, so I never bothered to tell them." Paul started howling in laughter again making Ava roll her eyes and smack him upon the head.

"Cut it out will you?"

"It's just weird, babe."

"Yeah well, you are bringing too much attention to us." Paul looked around him and noticed how everyone was looking at them. He glared at them rather harshly and said;

"Do you all need something?" Everyone quickly went back to whatever they were doing and Paul turned back to his seat.

They both finished eating in comfortable silence, enjoying their last moment together. This would be the first time they would be apart since they had decided to become best friends when they were six and eight years old.

"How long do you plan on staying here?" Paul asked Ava softly while looking at the menu again. He had finished eating and was ready for dessert. Ava thought for a moment before answering him;

"I'm not sure yet. I'll take a look at the place first and then decide. I'll most likely sell it to the town council and with that money head to New Orleans. I've always wanted to see the French Quarter and Mardi gras."

"Town Council? Why would you sell it to them?"

"From what the lawyer could tell me, this town is really hyped up about their history, historical points and monuments. Seems that this place belonged to one of the founding families and they would like to keep it local; if you get what I mean."

"They don't want anyone from outside living in it or managing it."

"Exactly; and although I carry the name, I am as outside as I can get. I have never lived here and honestly if hadn't been orphaned I probably would have never heard of this place. So my best shot is just selling it to the town council. They would take better care of it and would appreciate it more."

"All I can think about is how weird it sounds every time you say Town Council. It gives me the heebe jeebies every time you say it." Paul said strangely.

"Seriously, Paul? Heebe Jeebies? Have we gone back to the eighties?" Paul smirked at her before ordering four slices of warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

"What do you want for dessert, babe?" The blonde male waiter eye's nearly bugged out when he realized that the four slices was for Paul. Ava smiled at him apologetically and added two more slices to the order. The waiter cleared his throat nervously and said;

"I think it would be better if you just ordered the whole pie. It would be a lot cheaper also. You could take the two extra slices with you when you leave." Ava smiled brightly and glanced at his name tag.

"Thanks for the advice Matt, just bring us the pie than." He left with a smile on his face; the two newcomers were kind of strange but at the same time he could tell that they were decent people.

Paul's phone started ringing and he fished it out of his pocket, groaning at the name of that appeared on his caller ID;

"Sam, what's up?" A few seconds later;

"Now? We just got here! I told you I would be gone for a few days." Mumbling could be heard from the other line. At the obvious distress Ava turned to face Paul;

"Embry and Quil are close? What does have to do with me? Deal with them with Jared." Angrier mumbling and then;

"I didn't ask for this Sam and you know it. I am asking for a few days to help Ava settle in and then I'll go back. This place is filled with leeches also…I have to make sure it's safe for her." Yelling could be heard through the phone and Paul started shaking violently. Ava shot up from her chair and bounded into Paul's arms; his arms automatically wrapped around her and his shaking ceased;

"It wasn't her choice to be with them and you know it. She has never been treated wrongly by them and it's not her fault that we are like this. I am not leaving her here alone until I know it's safe!" A deep timbre could be heard through the phone and Ava could feel how Paul was trying to fighting the order given, he was shaking harder than before and sweating bullets. Ava grabbed the phone and placed it to her ear;

"Sam, he will finish his pie and he'll be there. Now back the fuck up and deal with your shit until he gets there. Tell Jared to stop fucking Kim and to get his ass to wherever the fuck you are. Imprinted or no, he is your beta not Paul. So, man the fuck up and order him to be by your side." She hanged up on him and hugged Paul tightly until he stopped shaking completely. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and pulled her tighter against him;

"I hate my life right now." Ava sighed and rubbed circles against his back.

"I'll try to convince them to leave but I doubt they will listen to me right now. Edward is so obsessed with Bella Swan that I doubt that he will even think about leaving her; and what Edward wants…Edward gets."

"Don't worry about it babe; just have a room ready for me when you decide to settle down somewhere. Once all this shit is done, I'm hightailing it out of there and never looking back." Ava chuckled and saw the pie that Matt had silently placed on the table. She stepped out of his embrace and sat on the stool again. Paul grabbed his fork and dug into the pie without even placing the slice on his plate. Ava grabbed the other fork and started eating the same way. After a moment of silence, Ava asked;

"What if you imprint? Will you still go to wherever I am?" Paul stopped the fork midway from his mouth and looked at her incredulously;

"Whoever turns out to be my imprint will have to understand that you and I are a package deal. Besides I hope the gods have pity on me and give me a girl that also wants to leave the reservation as badly as I do." Ava laughed and gave him a one arm hug.

"I'm sure that you'll get the perfect girl. And if not…leave her with me for five minutes and the girl will be perfect." Paul chuckled at that his mouth full of pie. Ava grabbed the keys to her bike from her jacket and placed it in front of him.

"Take the bike. It will give you a few days extra to get back to La Push and if you ever do find your girl, you can sell the bike and use the money to plan your future." Paul stared at her, his mouth wide open in disbelief;

"You are giving me your bike, your most treasure possession…just like that?"

"It's not just like that. The bike is already in your name. I won't be able to use it much here and if I decide to go to New Orleans I won't be able to take it with me. Just don't break it or destroy it." Paul couldn't think of anything else to say so he hugged her tightly again and kissed the top of her head. They finished eating, paid the bill and left a generous tip. Ava placed her jacket back on and handed the helmet to Paul. They walked towards the door and before leaving Ava turned around and stared at the group that was still watching their every move. She had the feeling that several of them had heard the conversations that she and Paul had and that it raised more questions than answers. Her eyes caught the eyes of the blue eyed male and for a moment she felt warm all over and she gave an internal groan. She was royally fucked now. He winked at her before taking a sip for his glass. Ava rolled her eyes and headed outside. Paul was already on the bike and in his hand was the keys to the black Audi R8 which he had drove from Forks so Ava could have her two vehicles with her. Or rather, that was she had told him but now he knew the truth. Ava grabbed her two bags from the bike and settled them on the ground.

"Do you want me to accompany you the house first?" Ava shook her head;

"Don't worry about it. I'm going to cruise around the town first to get a feel for it. I'll be careful Paul. I am not exactly defenseless." Paul sighed before placing the helmet on;

"I know you're not, but you're my only family beside the pack and I worry about you."

"I'll take care of myself, any trouble I can't handle and I'll call you. Be careful on the road and back home. I love you Paul, always and forever." Paul gave her a cheeky grin and slid the visor down.

"Love you too, baby girl. Always and Forever." The bike roared to life and with a squeal of the tires he rode out of the Grill and out of her life.

Ava sighed, grabbed her bags from the ground and walked to her car. She flung the bag inside and drove out of the Grill also. This was a new chapter in her life and she was ready to start it.

Ava never noticed the man standing in the shadows watching her every move. The young woman was familiar to him but in what way he did not know. This was another thing he would have to find out while he was in this town.


	2. Chapter 2

**_I don't own anything except Ava..._**

 **Chapter Two: Meeting the Salvatore Brothers**

After driving around town and getting the scoop on everything that was going on, Ava finally decides to head to the Salvatore Boarding House. The keys had come with a map because the road that led towards the house ran through the woods and the entrance was between the Town Hall and the Sheriff department. She found it the second time around and took the turn that led her towards her destination. The silence all around her freaked her out a bit, the woods were never meant to be so still. She slammed on the accelerator and accelerated; the creatures of the woods were only silent if a predator was on the loose. Ava had just moved several feet when something crashed into her from above than rolled down the windshield to land in front of the car. The brakes were hit so she wouldn't run over the body that landed. She was breathing rather harshly, trying her best not to scream in her fright. The first day in this town and she had already killed someone; this wasn't going to give her any points in her favor.

Ava got out of her car, not before sticking her hand in her purse and taking out her cell phone and whatever was sticking to it. She walked cautiously to where the body was and knelt down beside it; all her instincts were telling her to turn around and run, but if the poor man was still alive she had to get him to the hospital. Ava turned him over and cursed under her breathe; it was the blue-eyed man from the Grill. She felt for a pulse in his neck and could just feel it there under her fingers tips. She sighed in relief and turned him completely over, settled his head on her lap got close to his ear and whispered;

"Cut the fucking act and get up." She barely finished the sentence when she felt his teeth tear into her neck. Ava screamed and stabbed the number two pencil that she had in her hand into his chest. She missed his heart but it was enough to call his attention.

"Let go of my neck bloodsucker, or I'll twist the pencil to the right." The vampire took one last full swallow and let go of her neck. Ava groaned and fell backward, her leg tucked awkwardly underneath her. She placed her hand on her neck to stem the flow of blood. Ten years surrounded by vampires, ten fucking years without a single drop of blood being shed and twenty-four hours after striking out on her own she almost gets her throat ripped out. She nudged the fucker with her foot and watched him carefully get up and rip the pencil out.

"Number 2 pencil…that's creative." He said, his deep voice resonating inside of her. Ava waved her hand dramatically;

"My stakes are in a moving van and I didn't have time to carve a new one."

"You are definitely worth keeping around. You're just a delight."

"I won't be around long if you don't do something to stop my blood loss." Damon sarcastically smacked his head before lifting her up and placing her on his lap. He took his wrist to his mouth and bit down making the blood flow; he placed it by her lips but all she did was lift an eyebrow.

"My blood will heal you." Ava just stared at him but whatever she saw convinced her to drink from his wrist. The taste wasn't what she expected; it was salty and sweet like caramel covered peanuts. She could see herself becoming addicted to the taste. After a few moments, he tugged his arm back and leaned back against the car, though she was quite comfortable Ava made herself sit up and sit next to him.

"My name is Ava Rodriguez." She held out her hand which he took.

"A pleasure to meet you, I'm Damon Salvatore." Ava quickly dropped his hand quickly and turned to fully face him;

"As in the Salvatore Boarding House?"

"The one and only…why?" Ava groaned and tiredly rubbed her face in frustration.

"My name is Ava Rodriguez-Salvatore, the new owner." The silence was scary so she took a quick peek through her fingers and saw Damon smirking at her.

"You are the reason I can't get in my own house?

"I'm sorry about that. To be fair, I only learned about it two weeks ago."

"Yeah well, it didn't make my life any easier." Ava groaned and got up from the ground. She dusted her pants off and extended her hand out to him. Damon took it and let himself be pulled up from the ground. He stepped closer to her and looked down at her taking in her body, her scent and those hazel green eyes. This girl was smiling at him like there were best friends and he had to say it stirred something deep inside him.

"C'mon if there is one thing I can do to make your life easier despite having taken a chunk out of me I'll do it." Ava stumbled towards the driver's seat but collapsed against the car in a sudden rush of nausea and dizziness. Damon rolled his eyes picking her up and placing her in the passenger seat.

"You are not driving in your state, _Piccola._ You need water and food before you trying something so dangerous." Ava groaned at his sarcasm and mumbled;

 _"_ Just get me home before I use you like a pencil holder." Damon snorted at her comment but quickly started the car and headed towards the house.

Ava grabbed her backpack, stumbled and grumbled her way of the car. She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked up the stairs with Damon following closely behind. Ava managed to insert the key and opened the door, dropping her bag unceremoniously on the floor. She turned to Damon, her eyes filled with mischief;

"The kitchen?" she asked him.

"Turn left then turn right…are you going to invite me in?" Damon asked as Ava followed his instructions and disappeared inside the house. He heard her snort in laughter and growled under his breath. Ava reappeared with a box of cookies in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

"I will but first we are going to talk. I want a straight honest talk with no secrets or hidden agendas that will come and bite me in the ass one day. Like it or not this is my house for now and I don't want to be killed in my own house; c _apiche?"_

"You know Italian?" Ava shrugged nonchalantly;

"Along with other languages also. Do we have an understanding?" Damon sat on the first step and mentioned for Ava to do the same.

"Ladies first, _Piccola."_ Ava snorted at the fake politeness but started anyway;

"My name is Ava Rodriguez, I'm twenty-five years old and I was born a dhampir." Damon turned to fully face her in shock. Ava was looking down at the ground her toe playing with a stone.

"I don't know who my father is and yes I know I am adopted and yes I know that I shouldn't exist. Here I am though and despite contradictions, I am pretty awesome." He smirked at her comment;

"So, you are not a true-born Salvatore?"

"Nop, stop interrupting me and I'll tell you," Ava answered exasperatedly. Damon raised his hands in mock surrender and Ava continued.

"I was found near a bayou in Louisiana by Elizabeth Salvatore and Adam Rodriguez when I was just a baby. They knew about the supernatural being paranormal hunters, but one look at me and they wanted to adopt me without the fuss and right away so they went to a local witch. The witch told them I was a dhampir but wouldn't tell them my parents name or whereabouts. The witch pulled a few strings and the adoption went through. My mom and dad moved us to Forks, Washington; the rainiest, dreariest most inconspicuous, the most boring place in the whole world. Dad worked as a lumberjack/carpenter and mom worked as a school nurse. Times were tough sometimes but we were happy; until my mom died. Some kids from Port Angeles thought it would be smart to rob someone from the stupid town. My mom was opening the front door with me holding her hand when they attacked her. She resisted and one of the boys took out a gun and started waving it around and then it went off and they were gone while my mom fell on the floor bleeding from her abdomen. I was five. The neighbors heard the noise but it was too late by the time the police came. I heard how her heart slowly gave out and heard last whispered words. I remember running out into the woods as Deputy Swan approached us. He tried going after me but couldn't leave my mother there so he sent out of his men but they lost sight of me. I kept running until I was tired and couldn't see anymore. I remember falling asleep against a tree and then being woken up by a pair of cold hands wrapping around me. Jasper Whitlock and Rosalie Hale had been hunting in the area when they found me. They were Cold Ones like the ones in the Quileute legends and I wasn't scared despite the difference between their kind and mine. To me, they were two angels coming to protect me from the monsters of the world. Jasper wrapped me in his jacket, Rosalie picked me up in her arms and both of them took me back home. I remember telling them what happened and their promise to come back soon to visit me. They left me on the outskirts of the wood and left when my dad picked me up." Ava sighed.

"The funeral was hard and hearing all 'I'm sorry for your loss' drove my dad mad and he threw everyone out at the reception until it was just him and I. He took me upstairs laid me down on their bed with a picture of my mom between us and we fell asleep like that. We did that for a week. Then it was back to our normal routine with the exception of my mom. My dad tried getting a babysitter but it was kind of hard since I needed a special diet and I was/am diabetic. One of my neighbors offered to look after me but that didn't last long. In one of my escapes to the woods I met Paul; the guy that was with me at the Grill; and we've been best friends ever since. Rosalie presented herself to my dad and offered to take care of me free of charge. My dad knew what she was but decided to give her a chance because of her gold eyes and her bunny diet. He never regretted his decision because when he was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer he signed over me over to Rosalie Hale-McCarty and her brother Jasper Whitlock. I was sixteen. We lived in Port Angeles along with my uncle Emmett and Aunt Alice…Rosalie's and Jasper's spouses. I didn't want to be far from Paul and they didn't want to be seen in Forks yet so there we stayed until I turned eighteen. For my birthday my family gave me an all-inclusive trip around the world with a partner. As you might guess I went with Paul but had to wait two years until he turned eighteen since we have a two-year difference between us. During the two years, I learned several languages and took several courses. We spent two years traveling everywhere, sampling everything and not missing anything. We would get odd jobs here and there so Paul would not feel like he was freeloading off my family but we had _fun._ Until the third year in the trip where Rosalie called saying my dad had been declared brain dead and that Paul's dad was in an alcoholic coma. That pinched our bubble and we arrived home on the eve of two funerals. My dad left everything to me but I sold everything because Paul's dad left him with a bunch of debt. I helped him with that and went to live with him for a while so we wouldn't wallow in our self-grief. I kept taking courses until two weeks ago were I got a call from a lawyer telling me about this place. The timing couldn't have been more perfect because my family had decided with the rest of their coven to integrate themselves into society again and started school _again_ last year. It's a stupid idea to me, hanging out with a bunch of hormonal potential blood bags. It's like dangling a steak in front of a lion but they like to do it despite my misgivings and Jasper's comfort. So I decided to come here…and here we are." Damon stared at her intently his gaze searching and calculating.

"I'm guessing that that was the short version." Ava smiled half-heartedly;

"If I told you everything we would be here all night. It's a summary but nothing life-threatening towards you so I'll say things as time goes on. I probably won't even stay here for that long."

"I hope you do; I believe that between the two of us we can cause enough mischief. We'll drive Saint Stefan mad dealing with us two." Ava snorted and ate a few cookies before saying;

"I sense a little bit of animosity between you and your brother." It was Damon's turn to snort;

"That is a nice way to put it. I am what I am thanks to my dear little brother." He waited for Ava to get comfortable before starting his tale.

"Just like all the famous tale of brother rivalry, there was a female involved. I came back from the Civil War to find that a female and her maid were living with my father and brother. Katherine Pierce had given a room by my gracious father in the hopes that this wealthy girl from England would accept Stefan in marriage. I arrived in the middle of the courting process. I loved my brother back then and I would have done anything for him. She was the most beautiful girl in Mystic Falls but I decided to do nothing for she was my brother's intended. Katherine had other plans. She went after me; discreetly of course. Simple things like a conversation in the lounge or showing up while I was in the garden. I started falling for her but I still didn't go after her. So she decided to compel me. Suddenly both brothers were after her like a dog after a bone. Katherine told me that she was a vampire and I accepted it without being compelled because I loved her. Stefan, on the other hand, freaked out and she compelled him to forget that she ever told him. He stilled loved her but didn't know her dirty little secret. Stefan and I did everything we could to sabotage each other and it got to the point where my father started to suspect that something unnatural was going on. Emily, her maid, also warned me to stay away but I was in too deep. My father spiked our drinks with vervain and one night when Katherine went to visit me, she tried to drink my blood and got poisoned instead. My father ran into the room and staked her. He thought we didn't know and left with her to lock her inside the Tombs along with the other vampire that the Founding Families had found rambling around Mystic Falls. Stefan and I tried to get her out but our father found us and in his obvious disgust and displeasure he shot us both in the chest and left us in the middle of the road to die. What he didn't know was that Katherine had given both of her blood so when we died, we woke up in the transition stage. When we heard that the town had set fire to the church and tomb killing everyone in it, I was ready to not complete the stage and die. But Stefan, Saint-Fucking-Stefan had to go and mess everything up. He went back to the house to confront my father and in the fight he drained the man, completing his transformation. He could have left this miserable town and never look back but the bastard didn't want to be alone. Since he knew that I was sitting at the lake waiting for the sun to come up, he brought a bleeding servant girl and offered her to me. I resisted the best that I could but the bastard ripped open her neck and the call of blood was too strong and he refused my begging to hold me back. I was on the girl before she dropped to the ground. When I was done, I looked at my brother one last time and swore to him that I would make his life a living hell. There would be no way he would be able to escape from me. I would torture him until the day we both died because a simple death was too easy for him. I am glad to say that I have kept that promise. I have amassed power and knowledge and I'm more powerful than him and the majority of vampires. I could end him with a snap of my fingers and the best part is that he knows it."

"Why don't you?" Ava asked curiously, her voice lacking the judgment that he was expecting.

"It would be too easy and besides its fun. Living forever gets boring after a while. Chasing Stefan makes it interesting; finding that Katherine's doppelganger lives here and that Stefan has fallen in love with her makes it even more interesting."

"So you are going to steal his girl and watch as he suffers and wallows in self-misery."

"Pretty much," he said as stared at her with one eyebrow raised, daring her to say something negative. Ava looked calmly back at him not scared at all. She stayed silent before getting up and dusting off her pants.

"To each his own, I guess. Are you coming in?" Damon gaped like a drowning fish.

"Just like that? You are not going to say anything?" Ava shrugged and reached out her hand.

"Who am I to judge what you do or who you are? I don't know you. I asked for the truth and you gave it to me. I won't get in the way as long as you don't involve me. If you do decide to involve me, you should know that I will side with what _I_ think is right not with what you or any other say is the correct thing to do. I can protect myself but a warning if any danger is heading my way would be nice. So yeah, just like that. Now, are you coming in? I'm tired and I would like to go to sleep." Damon nodded, speechless for once in his life and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.

Ava woke up to the sun glaring brightly in her face. She groaned in frustration; she had forgotten to close the curtains before going to bed. She grabbed her phone from the night table, looked at the time and growled under her breath. It was 8 in the morning! She had chosen the bedroom next to Damon and she didn't even bother changing into her pajamas before going to sleep.

As she was contemplating getting up her cell started ringing loudly. One glance at the caller id and she eagerly picked up;

"Hi, Uncle Emmett!" she answered happily

"Hey there shortstop; how was your first night in town? Did you get there ok?" Emmett asked in his cheerfully deep voice.

"It was fine, Uncle Em. I checked out the whole town after Paul left town and then I went over to the Manor. Kind of got lost looking for the entrance, though. I drove past it several times before finding it. The Manor is really cool too. It's a Victorian Style but modernized."

"It sounds really cool baby girl. Old houses like that have secret passages included somewhere so try to find one and let me know. Did you meet anyone the town's people?"

"I haven't met anyone yet, but guess what?" -Ava didn't give Emmett time to answer before continuing- "Nightwalkers live in the town and I am related to two of them! How awesome is that?" There was a sudden struggle through the phone and then;

"Ava? Are you alright? Did they hurt you? Jasper and I will head down there right now. Don't worry about anything." Rosalie asked anxiously making Ava smile fondly. No matter how old she got Rosalie stilled fussed over her as if she was still 5 years old.

"Hi, ma. I'm fine. I have only met one of them and he was the perfect gentlemen."- After he ripped out my throat; Ava thought to herself. –" I know how to defend myself, mama. Pa showed me all he knows and so did Uncle Peter and Uncle Emmett. If push comes to shove I'll just start carrying number two pencils with me." Ava heard her father laugh through the phone and a snort of laughter coming from the room next to hers.

"You remember all that we taught you, right sugar?" Her pa asked her seriously. Ava smiled fondly as she heard his voice.

"Of course I do, pa! I remember every little detail, including running as fast as I can if I am outnumbered."

"Don't worry Ava. I have seen that you will be able to handle yourself just fine. Just stick with your game plan." Alice told her.

"Will do Aunt Alice. I'm going to go take a shower and hunt for food. Mama and Papa, I love you and don't worry too much about me. Aunt Alice, Uncle Em look after them for me, please? I love all of you to the moon and back again. I hope you are having fun at school…again." Ava cut off the call before anyone else could say anything. She loved her family to pieces but they could a bit overbearing.

She showered quickly and changed into black jeans, a black tank top, a red habitat cardigan, and her black boots. She tied her into a messy bun and applied a light make-up. After she was done, Ava headed downstairs and toward the kitchen. As she was entering the kitchen she heard the front door open and people whispering angrily. Damon was still in his room from what she could hear, so she quickly grabbed a kitchen knife from the countertop and quietly headed towards the voice.

"Just do it, Elena. No one will know the difference. No has been in here for two weeks. I would do it but I need an invitation to come in. I'll wait for you outside."

"Stefan it doesn't feel right. Just buy whatever it is that you need. I feel like I'm stealing."

"It's not stealing Elena, this is my house and those are my things. As soon as the owner comes, we'll sort everything out." Stefan answered again. Ava didn't even think about it as she grabbed the girl by the throat and threw the knife towards the front door. The pained grunt signaled her that she got the target but she didn't turn to him as she slammed the girl against the wall.

"Who are you? What are you doing in _my_ house?" Ava asked putting the emphasis on the word my. The girl struggled for a moment her hand scratching at the one that was around her throat but a slight squeeze from Ava and she stopped.

"I'm Elena Gilbert and I just came to get a few of my boyfriend's things," Elena answered in a hoarse whisper making Ava loosen her grip a little. Ava lifted a perfect shape eyebrow and observed quickly the girl in her grip. Straight brown hair, olive-toned skin, brown eyes, full lips, and an hourglass figure. She had the girl-next-door thing going for her but Ava didn't buy it for a minute. Call it woman intuition or whatever but this girl was everything but the opposite of innocent.

"The boyfriend would be my darling little brother Stefan. At least he didn't get to be a pencil holder; makes me feel all special inside." Damon said from the bottom of the stairs. He was also dressed all in black. Ava looked at Damon, then at the boy that was leaning against the porch pillar groaning slightly and back at Damon again.

" _That_ is your brother?" Damon nodded making Ava look again at the girl in her grip.

"Then this would be the doppelganger, I suppose?"

"Exactly right, _Piccola._ So if could you put her down; I don't like damaged goods." Ava snorted but put the girl down. As soon as her feet touched the ground she rushed to where Stefan was and started fussing over him. Ava looked at the scene and the turned to Damon;

"Seriously?" She didn't even bother waiting for an answer and went back to the kitchen.

Ava settled down on a stool with a glass of orange juice and some chocolate chip cookies. She could hear the others arguing outside but she chose to ignore it. The other vampire couldn't get it in so she wasn't worried about that and Damon wouldn't turn on her. Or so she hoped. Ava pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Paul;

 _Miss u grey wolf. It's not the same being without you. Did you get back ok?_ She waited a few minutes and her phone beeped;

 ** _Same here little dhampir. I should have stayed with you. I got back in record time. I still can't believe you gave me your bike._**

 _Something to distract you from all the shit that Sam will give you. Who's shifted?_

 ** _No one yet. Embry is close but he is fighting it. Quil and Embry are happy guys so they are harder to anger._**

 _If push comes to shove, punch Jake in front of them. That will surely piss them off_

 ** _*snort* and will also have a lovesick baby alpha on our hands._**

 _Is he still hung up about Bella? What is so special about her anyway? She seems normal and pretty boring to me._

 ** _Not to mention submissive. The leech says heel and she listens._**

 _Yeah well, Edward has always been a pompous ass. Now he's a pompous virgin ass with a virgin girlfriend._

 ** _Can't believe the leech is still a fucking virgin? Is there no female leech for him to sink his dick into?_**

 _There are but no one can stand his holier-than-thou attitude and his "uncontrollable" mind reading kind of puts him and others off the idea of sex._

 ** _Imagine hearing that you're bad at sex…or that you have a small dick!_**

 _What makes you think that he has a small dick?_

 ** _He's a 100 and something years old virgin…I'm sure it has fallen off from lack of use._**

 _Why on earth are we talking about Edward's dick?_

 ** _No clue babe. It's kind of freaking me out. Quick question… if a human has sex with a vampire…would that human be into necrophilia? You know…because the vampire is technically a walking dead corpse._**

 _Wow…good question…I don't think so…I think necrophiliacs are attracted by the unmoving corpse…so I don't think to have sex with a vampire would cut it for them_

 ** _Next time you see doctor leech ask him and tell me what he says._**

 _LMAOF! Imagine his face when I do! I'll videotape it and send it to you…_

Damon placed the knife next to her, making Ava look up from her phone.

"My brother wants you to let him in."

"Without saying please? Such awful manners he has."

 _I have things to do. Love you. Always and Forever_

 ** _Take care babe. Always and Forever dhampir, no matter what._**

"Yeah well, you threw a kitchen knife at him."

"Are you defending him, Damon?"

"Just stating the obvious."

"Well don't. Just because he demands it doesn't mean I'll give in. If he knew that this house no longer belonged to him he shouldn't have tried to break in." Ava hopped off the stool and headed to the front door; Damon following behind her.

Ava stopped in front of Stefan and Elena and glared at both of them.

"I don't know who you think you are but you don't break into someone's home and then demand that you be let in," Ava told Stefan angrily. His green eyes looked at her warily as he pushed Elena behind him.

"You let Damon in; why not me?"

"Probably because I know Damon. He took a moment to introduce himself to me instead of barging into the place."

"If you could call that introducing," Damon said sarcastically.

"Shut it, Damon."

"If you want to be invited back to the house, you and I are going to have a talk first; privately, without your girlfriend and your brother with us. There will be rules and you will abide by them or your invitation will be rescinded. You are portraying a seventeen-year-old teenager so that technically makes me your guardian alongside Damon. So what I say goes when it comes to the house. If you don't like it, don't bother showing up to the Grill for lunch and find somewhere else to live. I will send your things to you when you have settled down." Ava told Stefan seriously and harshly before slamming the door in his face. Ava turned to Damon and smiled brightly;

"I think that went absolutely wonderful; don't you?"

 **** ** _Please leave a review telling me what you think. I would love to know what you expect from the story._**


	3. 3

-Chapter 3:

 _"Start me on a vodka tonic, sitting in the bar at a hole in the wall on the Eastside. The drinks don't cost me much and there's never anybody there... incognito suits me just fine,"_ Ava sung under breath as she sat at the bar waiting for Stefan to arrive. She hated waiting and never arrived early so she wouldn't have to wait long. Today was a Sunday, so Stefan had no excuse for being fifteen minutes late. Ava sipped at her vodka tonic, knowing it was way too early to be drinking but she just knew that she would need it.

She didn't mean to sound so demanding and maybe a bit cruel, but he had to be taken down a notch or two. Stefan was way too arrogant and overbearing...he reminded her of Edward and not in a good way. Edward was her least favorite person and lucky for her, the feeling went both ways. Ava didn't exactly get a bad vibe from Stefan and maybe it was just her imagination but something just didn't sit right with her about him.

"Do you want a refill?" Matt asked her as he wiped down the bar. Ava sighed for a moment seriously contemplating the idea but decided against it. She was trying to be the responsible one and that meant no drinking before happy hour.

"No thanks, Matt. I'll have a Sprite though if you have any please." Matt raised an eyebrow at her but got her the Sprite anyways.

"Are you waiting for someone?" Matt asked trying to appear nonchalant about it but his blue eyes were filled with curiosity. Ava nodded as she filled her glass;

"I'm waiting for Stefan Salvatore actually. He was supposed to be here at 12 but as you can see he is a bit late."

"Salvatore? He spends every waking moment with Elena. I doubt you'll catch him here unless she is here too." Matt said to her, his words sounding a bit harsh. It was Ava's turn to raise her eyebrow;

"Does she have him on some sort of leash?" Matt snorted at her words and gave a casual shrug as he looked behind her;

"Looks like she took him out for a walk; though I doubt you'll be able to speak without her present." Ava's nose flared a bit in anger as she turned around to look at Stefan who had just walked in with Elena wrapped in his arms.

Ava thanked Matt as she walked to the nearest booth and waited for Stefan to join her. She hoped that maybe Elena would stay with her friends on the way but both of them made their way to her. She stood up as they neared and there was an uncomfortable silence as the three of them stared at each other. When she realized that Elena wasn't going to leave she hardened her gaze and coldly said to Stefan;

"I thought I told you to come by yourself. That this was a family business."

"Whatever you have to say to Stefan you can say it in front of me. I am his girlfriend after all." Elena answered sweetly but Ava wasn't buying it;

"I thought I told you to come by yourself. That this is a family business." Elena huffed in frustration and opened her mouth to speak; but as Ava slowly raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and fixed her cold gaze on her, Elena quickly closed it. Ava looked at Stefan her face a hard mask and her eyes betraying nothing as she waited to see what he would say. Stefan sighed and pinched his nose reminding her again, of Edward;

"Elena is family, she is important to me. Whatever you have to say you can say it in front of her." Ava looked between the two of them before brightening a bit and quickly grabbed Elena's left hand and turned it over as if looking for something. Elena tried to pull her hand back but Ava had it in a pretty tight grip.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked her. Ava looked at Elena and dropped her hand and was scrutinizing Elena's neck.

"So where is it?" Ava asked

"Where is what?" Elena answered a bit confused. Ava looked at her as if they were both sharing a secret that no one else knew.

"You're wedding or engagement ring. You are a bit young to get married, so I understand if you're trying to keep it a secret." Elena stared at Ava as if she had grown a third head and managed to get out between her clenched teeth that she wasn't married or engaged to Stefan. Ava nodded wisely;

"That's ok you are still young. Are you pregnant then?" At that remark, Elena started spluttering in rage and Stefan looked at Ava as if he was dealing with a mental patient. He quietly but slowly said;

"Elena isn't pregnant, Miss Rodriguez. It's impossible due to what I am." Ava snorted in a very unladylike manner;

"You know nothing, Stefan Salvatore. What you're telling me is that Elena isn't pregnant and you aren't married or otherwise engaged? Stefan nodded his head in agreement. Ava suddenly took a step forward, her mask back on and her eyes harsh causing Elena to unconsciously step back behind Stefan.

"No ring, no pregnancy nothing that ties Elena to me; she is not my family. I do not know her and I do not know you and if I asked for a private meeting between Damon, you or me it is meant to stay between us."

"You should respect that I have chosen her. You are right, you don't know me, you don't know us and trust me you don't Damon. Elena and I are the last people in this town that want to hurt you. Get to know us and you'll see we are not that bad, that we are more trustworthy than Damon." Ava sneered at Stefan's small speech and took a step back from them.

"In what century did you lose your balls? Tell me where you'll be staying and I'll send you your things," Ava told both of them, her eyes betraying her anger but her voice was smooth as silk. With one last glare at the both of them, she left them standing there and headed to the bar. She paid Matt what she had consumed and with a small greeting, she left Grill and headed to the parking lot.

Ava leaned against the side of her car rummaging her pockets for a pack of cigarettes when she remembered that she had knocked the habit two years ago after Carlisle showed her several traumatizing and disgusting pictures of what the smoke did to her body. She took out her lighter and started flicking it on and off, the movement calming her senses and anger. Her phone rang and with her other hand, she plucked it out of her pocket and answered it;

"Whitlock speaking," a moment of surprised silence before Damon answered;

"I thought you said your name was Ava Rodriguez."

"It is. I took on the Whitlock name after I turned eighteen. My dad didn't mind and Jasper was happy. Is this why you called? To know how I answer my phone or did you actually have a reason in doing so."

"Down _gattina,_ down. I called to ask you how the meeting went but I can already guess that it didn't go so well. He showed up with Elena didn't he?"

"If you knew he would do that why in the nine universes didn't you warn me," Ava ground out through her clenched teeth.

"Nine universes?"

"Seriously?"

"He wouldn't take you seriously if you had shown up prepared what he was going to do. He probably expected me to talk bad about him and pit you against him. Your instant reaction to both of them will get both of them to think and reconsider how they approach you." Damon told her in such a way that she could just see him smirking. "What did you say to them?" He asked her curiously but eager. Ava sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly but decided to indulge the idiot;

"I asked her if she was married to him or engaged and when she told me that she wasn't I asked her if she was pregnant." There was a moment of silence before Damon busted out laughing making her wince from the sudden noise.

"I have decided to keep you _gattina_. You will make things so much fun. I will be there in five minutes don't leave." He ended the call before she could answer.

"I am glad to be of some use to you," Ava said sarcastically to the phone. She placed it back in her pocket and continued playing with her lighter.

One or two minutes must have past before Ava realized that amongst the semi-silence was the sound of pained grunts and fist hitting flesh. She sniffed the air as she stood and smelled blood. Ava followed the scent to the back of the Mystic Grill and came upon a rather unfair scene. A group of teenagers was ganging up on another teenager. He was beaten up pretty badly from what she could see but he kept swinging his fists and lashing out with his legs.

Ava pushed up the sleeves of her jacket as she walked towards them.

"Come on boys, five against one...that is hardly fair now is it?" She told them her voice dropping to a husky tone. All five of them looked in her direction and the fallen boy scrambled up against the wall. They weren't stupid in choosing their location. Behind the building, no one could hear them and if by chance someone did hear, by the time help came the attackers would be long gone.

"This is not your problem bitch. Run along before you get hurt too." One of them said; she couldn't see who it was because his cap was pulled low over his eyes. The other boys that were there, nervously backed away as Ava smiled. Her smile was bright but her eyes were off...there was no emotion there just a cold, harsh look that promised retribution.

"Do you promise?" Ava whispered softly to the guy. He barely had time to blink in astonishment before he fell back, nose broken and bleeding as Ava punched him clean in the face. One of the guys grabbed her arm while at the same time another tried to push her against the wall making her grunt in pain as she felt her shoulder come out of her socket. She did a sidekick and hit one of her holders in the stomach making in retch in pain. She received a punch in the face from the other one, which only made her laugh as she tasted her blood. Ava kneed him in the groin and as he hunched over in pain she kneed him in the face sending the guy sprawling on the floor. She kicked him but the guy didn't react...he was out cold. Ava didn't see the last guy sneak up on her with a pipe in his hand; he raised it above his head and was about to bring it down on Ava's head but was tackled by the very boy Ava was trying to protect. The boy pounded into the attacker's face with so much force and anger that Ava was reluctant in pulling him away. The attacker's heart rate was dropping and the kid was too young to have blood on his hands...even if it was self-defense.

"Kid...let him go. You're going to kill him if you don't stop." She told him softly. The boy gave a grunt and kept ongoing. Ava touched him lightly on the shoulder;

"Don't do it. You'll regret forever if you do." She grabbed him by the neck and tried to pull him up. He was breathing heavily but he had stilled when she had touched him. Ava sensed someone approaching and gave the boy another tug; it wouldn't do for him to be caught in that situation but she relaxed when she realized that it was Damon.

Damon had barely arrived at the Grill when he had smelled Ava's blood in the wind. He saw a teenager ran out from behind the building and had to refrain from killing the brat when he ran past; he reeked of Ava and of fear. Damon arrived and saw three knocked out boys and Ava trying to pull another off the one that was on the ground. He approached them and slowed when he saw Ava tensed but continued until he could see the boy that was just standing up.

"Baby Gilbert? What the hell?" Damon asked astonished. Ava simply raised an eyebrow at the moniker but said nothing as she stepped back away from Jeremy. She grabbed her shoulder in pain as she jostled it but kept quiet so she could see the interaction and observe the kid. He was taller than her, broad-shouldered and slightly built but his hands were stained with ink and there were calluses on his fingers indicating he was some kind of artist. He had brown eyes and short brown hair that fell into his eyes. The kid was the quiet kind, but those were the kind you had to look out for. Ava leaned a bit towards him and took a sniff; he smelled a bit odd and it wasn't the adrenaline or the fear. It was an old tangy sour smell that lingered but maybe in a few days if he kept doing whatever he was doing the smell would go away.

Jeremy shuffled his feet nervously not looking Damon in the eye but also keeping the girl who saved him in his line of sight. She had arrived as a beautiful dark avenging Angel and saved him from being pummeled to the ground. He was fascinated by her but tried not to show it; he didn't want her running off without knowing her name.

"I got jumped, dragged back here and attacked," Jeremy answered Damon's question as seriously as he could. Damon seemed to buy it as he pulled out his cellphone but the girl snorted softly making Jeremy look at her completely with a raised eyebrow. She just smiled at him knowingly as she held onto her shoulder. During the fight he had heard a weird sound and a grunt of pain coming from her and seeing the way her arm dangled, he guessed that her arm was dislocated. He moved towards her but hesitated for a moment as Damon's words reached his ears;

"Squirrel muncher, meet me behind the grill. *Pause* Bring Elena with you, it's about Baby Gilbert. *Pause* If I did anything to him you will have to come and see. *Pause and a snort* Try all you want Bunny Ripper." Jeremy gently reached for Ava's arm while groaning in frustration; just what he needed his older sister and her stuck-up boyfriend. Ava moved out of his reach and at the same time was trying not to laugh but failing miserably. She was shaking uncontrollably and the words squirrel muncher and bunny ripper could be heard between the laughs and snorts.

"My name is Jeremy, by the way," Jeremy said to Ava introducing himself to her. He didn't want to be known as Baby Gilbert... especially to his savior. Ava gripped his hand with her free hand and gave it a shake while still laughing. One look at Damon's innocent face had her in peals of laughter again but she managed to squeak out;

"Ava, it's nice to meet you." She was still laughing but quickly stopped as Jeremy took a step towards and reached for her shoulder again. She took a step back and bumped into Damon who had quietly approached her from behind.

"I'm sorry you got hurt for helping me. You didn't have to." Jeremy told her quietly, hoping that Damon could help her since she wasn't willing to let him. Damon caught on quickly and spun Ava to face him;

"You're hurt _gattina?_ Where?" He could smell the blood on her but none of it was hers except for the bit that came out of her busted lip.

Before Ava could answer him, there was a loud noise and the door next to the garbage bin slammed opened. Quicker than normal, Ava grabbed Jeremy and pulled him behind her while Damon placed himself in front of both of them. Jeremy could only stare as Damon was suddenly thrown against the wall by Stefan. There was a struggle but Stefan quickly snapped Damon's neck. Jeremy shouted out in anger and surprised which was quickly cut off as Ava pushed him back making him stumble into the ground. He saw how Ava turned around to see if he was ok and Elena came at her with a pipe and smashed it against Ava's head. Ava crumbled to the ground like a broken china doll and didn't move. Jeremy quickly placed himself over her in protection.

"Jeremy, it's alright it's just Stefan and I. Did they hurt you?" Elena asked out of breath, her brown eyes wide and innocent. Stefan made to help Jeremy up but the boy swung a fist making Stefan reconsider and step back.

"Jeremy, I just want to help," Stefan said with his hand raised in a placatory way.

"You have no fucking idea," Jeremy answered them angrily. He turned Ava over and winced at the blood and gash that was visible on her temple. She was very pale and barely breathing. "She was the one that saved me from being killed by some thugs." He ignored the gasp from Elena and the groan from Stefan. Jeremy tried CPR but Ava didn't respond to it; if anything he felt her grow colder. A pained groaned made them turn around to see Damon rise from the ground rubbing his neck. Elena shivered at the deathly cold glare he was giving her and Stefan; this was not good.

"Damon, help her! She won't wake up!" Jeremy cried out to him. Later he would wonder how the hell Damon was still alive but for now all that mattered was keeping Ava alive. Damon rushed over and examined her. Without sparing a glance at his little brother and his girlfriend, he fished the keys to his car out of his pocket and threw it to Jeremy. He gently picked up Ava in his arms and stood up;

"Jeremy, go and get my car, we'll take her back to the manor. I'll be able to help her there." Jeremy didn't even bother to argue he just left to start Damon's car. Damon made to follow but Elena quickly placed her hand on his arm stopping him;

"Damon, I'm sorry. We didn't,"- Elena didn't get a chance to finish before she was thrown against the very wall he had been slammed against followed by Stefan. Damon turned to face both of them;

"If you believe in any gods, you better start praying because if she doesn't wake up; I'll be coming after the both of you." He left them there; Stefan, trying to remember the last time Damon ever cared enough for anyone to issue such a threat and Elena surprised that Damon had made such a threat to her.

Damon quickly got inside the car and Jeremy didn't even give him time to close the door before he was pealing out of the parking lot. They drove in silence for a few minutes; the tension so sharp that it could cut paper. Damon held Ava tightly to him, comforted by the fact that he could still hear her heartbeat. It unnerved him having her so dead-like in his arms and this feeling of protectiveness was something he would have to analyze later. He would have given her his blood, but he didn't know if that was such a good idea with her being a dhampir.

"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" Jeremy asked nervously, breaking the silence.

"And say what exactly, baby Gilbert? That your crazy ass sister attacked the newcomer with a pipe because she thought that we were attacking you?" Damon asked sarcasm dripping from every word. Jeremy flinched at that but didn't say anything as he pulled up Salvatore's driveway. Damon didn't wait for Jeremy to stop the car; he just got up and quickly entered the house. He went straight up to Ava's room and gently placed her on the bed. Damon wet a towel with lukewarm water and started washing away the blood that was on her face and around the gash. He hissed in sympathy at the size of the gash but kept at it until she was clean. Jeremy came and sat next to her, pushing Ava's hair and stroking her hand.

"How are you going to help her," he asked curiously but didn't get an answer. Damon was searching through Ava's things, looking for some kind of first aid- kit or something that hinted on how to help her.

The silence was broken by a cell phone ringing; Jeremy being closer to Ava took it out of her pocket.

"It says Aunt Alice on the caller id," Jeremy said to Damon. Damon flashed over to Jeremy, ignoring the startled noise he made and took the phone from him. Damon answered and after a moment placed it against his ear;

"Hello, Ava is a bit busy at the moment. Can I pass on a message?" Damon answered cautiously.

"In her black back bag next to the suitcase you will find a small grey thermal case. Inside there is a syringe gun, several small thermal tubes, and needles. Take the syringe gun and place a tube in the top part and a new needle; make sure you hear the tube click into place before you inject her with it. Find the largest artery in her neck and inject her with the syringe. After that wait a few minutes and then open the white case, where you will find a regular diabetes kit. Inject a small dose of insulin in her leg and wait. She'll come around after a while. Do not give her your blood, do you understand?" Alice told him urgently, her child-like voice grating on Damon's ears.

"How did you know?" Damon asked as he found what Alice had told him.

"I know things, it's my gift. I'll keep this from my husband and my sister this time Damon Salvatore but you take care of her and make sure she doesn't get herself killed because you and the rest of that dingy town will wish for death by the time we are done with all of you." Alice ended the call abruptly and Damon quickly prepped the syringe gun and the insulin without giving the threat a second thought. He went over to Ava; ignoring Jeremy and his questioning looks; and injected whatever was in the thermal tube in the large artery in her neck. After counting 100 Mississippi's he inject the insulin her leg. He quickly put everything away and then Damon dragged a chair and placed it next to the bed. He kept watch over her and he could see the color slowly returning to her face. Ava's phone dinged and a quick glance at it saw that it was a message from her Aunt Alice. Damon opened it and smirked a bit after reading it;

 _'She'll be hungry once she wakes up. Make sure she eats and not just a sandwich. She'll need a full plate of food. If its meat, make sure it's very rare and she absolutely hates cauliflower and eggplant.'_

"I'm going to go and make a quick lunch. Call me if she wakes up." Damon didn't give Jeremy time to answer and just left. Jeremy just rolled his eyes at him but he sat on the bed and settled against the headboard and kept stroking her hair.

He dozed off but gave a start when he heard Ava calling out to him. He looked down at her but she appeared to be asleep.

 _'Jeremy? Can you hear me?'_ Jeremy realized that Ava's voice was coming from inside his head. He almost bounded out the bed but Ava had a pretty tight grip on his leg. It was then he realized she had moved at some point because she was lying on her side in a fetal position with her arms wrapped around his leg.

 _'Don't be scared, Jeremy. It's just that I'm still healing and at least this way it doesn't hurt as much.'_

 _'How are you doing that?'_ Jeremy asked her, tentatively trying out this new way of communication and feeling a bit foolish.

 _'Do you know what a dhampir is Jeremy?'_

 _'No, I don't actually.'_

 _'Ok then. Do you believe in the supernatural?'_

 _'You mean ghosts, spirits and things like that?'_

 _"I was talking more along the lines of vampires and werewolves but yeah; ghost and spirits too.'_ Jeremy gave a short, sarcastic laugh.

 _'Whatever Damon gave you has made you loopy. Those things only exist in books and legends.'_

 _'Jeremy! You live in a supernatural central! How can you not believe?'_

 _'C'mon, you can't actually believe all that do you?'_

 _'Oh my god, you really don't believe. I don't get it.'_

 _'I'm going to pass off this weird and totally crazy conversation as you being high on the shit Damon injected you with.'_

 _'How did the others explain Vicky's death?"_ Jeremy sat up abruptly, almost throwing Ava off the bed. She tightened her grip around his leg so he wouldn't leave.

 _'What do you know about that?'_ He asked cautiously. He knew that he should probably call for Damon, but he was also quite anxious and curious to know what she had to say.

 _'I'm so sorry, Jeremy. I thought you knew.'_ Her voice even though it was inside his head was filled with sadness and he knew that somehow she was telling the truth.

 _'Matt told me that she left town, to follow after their mother…are you sure?'_

 _'I don't think Matt knows either but I know that you definitely do. You were there the night she was killed Jer!_ Jeremy yanked his leg from Ava's grip and stood up. He started pacing next to the bed and pulling at his hair;

 _'That is not true, you're lying! I would remember something like that!'_ Ava sighed and slowly started to wake up. She blinked a bit and rubbed the fatigue out of her eyes. She simply looked at Jeremy and waited for him to look at her. When he did, he sat down next to her and grabbed her hand.

"Why wouldn't I remember something that?" He whispered sadly. Ava sat up and wrapped her arm around him.

"I saw Damon was the one who compelled you to forget and I'm probably guessing that he did it on behalf of your sister. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that does things out of the kindness in his heart."

"How did she die?" Jeremy asked her.

"I can lift the compulsion if you want but you have to be sure and try not to have a breakdown with what you're about to see."

"I'm sure. I want to remember everything."

"I'll do it Jer, but I want you to go home straight after it happens. I'll pick up after I have eaten something and we'll go for a ride and I'll answer any questions you have. I think that it's best if others don't know what you know. Do you understand?" Ava asked him seriously. She had gotten up and kneeled down in front of him. Jeremy just nodded and Ava placed her hands on his head with her eyes closed in concentration. A few seconds later Jeremy gave a slight gasp and shot up from the bed knocking Ava on her back. He looked down on her with tears in his eyes but quickly left the room and then the house.

Ava slowly got up and dusted herself off. She took a quick glance in the mirror and saw that she was healed up. Her stomach gave a huge grumble making her laugh. A throat cleared behind her and she saw Damon standing in the doorway with a huge sandwich in a plate in his hand. He quickly placed the plate down on the nightstand and walked over to where she was. He gently grabbed her face in his hands and inspected her temple, softly brushing away her hair away from her face.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, his blue eyes filled with concern and something else that Ava could quite decipher.

"I'm fine, Damon. I could have done without the pipe to the head but I'm fine." She answered stepping out of his grip. He was a bit too close to her liking.

"I'm going to have words with the dynamic duo once I can get my hands on them. Elena shouldn't have attacked you like that. If you had been fully human she could have killed you."

"Well, she didn't so don't you worry about a thing. You'll still have your girl, after all, is said and done. Besides, if anyone is having words with them it will be me and there won't be much to say. She was protecting her brother"

"She didn't have to try and kill you and Stefan broke my damn neck."

"It probably won't be the last time that he does that. You are trying to make his life difficult and steal his girl." Damon just rolled his eyes and finally stepped back.

"Eat your sandwich, Piccola. Saint Stefan is on his way, alone, and he wants to talk to you."

"Oh, how fun," Ava answered sarcastically. She grabbed the sandwich and made her way downstairs while eating it. Damon followed her while grumbling under his breath;

"Doubtful, with him it will be all tragic, boring and Damon is evil and powerful meanie." Ava just laughed as she settled herself in the living room couch and looked at him, her face full of mischief and happiness;

"I happen to like the evil, powerful meanie so like I said before; don't you worry about a thing."


End file.
